Dec. 21 may not have been the end of the world, but it was certainly a good beginning to the ski and snowboard season at the Mt. Shasta Ski Park. The park opened its slopes Friday for the first time this season with two feet of fresh powder from the strong winter storm that covered many areas of Siskiyou County in deep snow.

This year’s opening day was a cause for celebration – not only because of the good snow conditions, but also because it came a full month earlier than last season when the park was not able to open until Jan. 21 due to lack of snow. In addition, the storm that dumped more than three feet of snow on the park over the weekend will also allow the park to operate at full capacity throughout the holiday season.

With students out of school and many people enjoying holiday breaks from their jobs, ski and snowboard parks, snow sports shops and a wide variety of other businesses in ski towns earn a large portion of their seasonal revenue during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Mt. Shasta Ski Park Marketing Manager and Mount Shasta Chamber of Commerce member Jim Mullins said having the ski park open brings substantial economic activity to Siskiyou County and every additional day of operation equals additional income for local business owners and employees. It also brings joy and entertainment to the people who love to ski and snowboard.

“The snow was epic today,” said Chris Williams, who traveled with two friends from Redding to hit the slopes on opening day. “We got here late because I-5 north was closed for a while this morning, but we’re staying all weekend.”

Yreka resident Samantha Hollings said she was skeptical of the conditions at the park before arriving. “We had almost no snow in Yreka, so I was surprised when I went to the ski park’s website and saw they had 24 inches of fresh snow. I’m glad I made the trip down here. This is great.”

Even with the heavy accumulation of snow across the region making travel challenging, several hundred people managed to make their way to the park. As the sun went down and the slopes lit up for night skiing, Sliders Lounge came alive with the classic rock sounds of local band Soda Creek.

Inside the lounge Friday evening, ski park owner Andy Aguilera enjoyed the music and celebration with friends and family.

He said he was very happy to have the park open before the holidays. “It’s been a great day. The snow is great, the music is great and everyone had a great time,” he said, adding, “and of course I enjoyed my opening day tradition of taking the first run. It was awesome.”

Page 2 of 2 - The Mt. Shasta Ski Park will be open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. every day through Jan. 5. For more information about hours, prices and services, visit skipark.com.